THE people of Crewe have voted a resounding ‘yes’ for the formation of their own town council.

The results of the public ballot were revealed in the town square on Tuesday (March 6), where it was announced that a total of 10,810 residents felt the formation of a single town council was the right thing for Crewe.

This was the decision of almost nine out of 10 respondents (88.5%). The number of people voting ‘no’ came to just 1,390.

Speaking as the news was officially announced, Cllr Michael Jones said: “This is a resounding vote. The work of the governance committee has been fantastic. Now we can move forward.”

But despite the clear consensus among voters, the turnout for the ballot was just 32% of the 37,750 electorate. This means the total percentage of the electorate voting for a town council was just 29%.

Cllr Jones added: “We always said this was an important time for the people of Crewe and, while it would have been nice to see more people voting, I’d like to thank them all for their input.

“It shows the vast majority of people who voted want more local representation so the town is placed in a stronger position to be able to manage certain services and assets, such as Crewe Market Hall, in future.

“The people responding to the ballot clearly want a town council and, if it is eventually formed, Cheshire East looks forward to working with its elected members in working together to secure an even brighter future for Crewe.”

The Crewe governance review sub-committee will meet on March 13 to consider the referendum results and discuss the next steps.

A final draft recommendation for the outcome of the review will then be passed to a full meeting of council in April or May, before a three-week second wave of consultation begins. A final decision is expected by August.

Responding to the news yesterday, MP Edward Timpson said: “The people of Crewe have indicated they want more control over their local governance, but at the same time they were not explicitly told they would have to pay for it in extra council tax.

“It’s impossible to estimate at this point how much that might be, and in the middle of an economic downturn it is worth looking at the other cost-effective community governance options available to the council to implement.

“Crewe people want a voice in local government and well-run services, not unnecessary tax rises and more politicians.”